HANSON – A decision coming soon from state officials will affect a school building project that has split local taxpayers and prompted an effort to recall two selectmen.

Residents and school officials should learn this week whether Hanson’s twice-failed elementary school project will be able to move ahead to a third vote under its existing state funding mechanism.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority will send a letter this week to the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District informing officials of its decision, spokesman Dan Collins said.

He said Tuesday afternoon that he could not be more specific on the timeline and could not say what the decision would be.

The school committee asked for an extension of its funding deadline last month after voters failed for a second time to approve a $58 million project that would replace Indian Head and Maquan schools with a combined building for preschool through Grade 5 students.

School officials say that both buildings should be replaced because of their poor conditions and the uncertainty of what may fall into disrepair next. School officials say a new school would improve the educational setting for students and teachers and lead to greater collaboration among staff.

Opponents argue that renovating Indian Head School and replacing Maquan School would be far less expensive and that an associated property tax override would over-burden residents still stinging from the recent economic downturn.

The School Building Authority board of directors voted last July to contribute 59.17 percent of eligible costs toward the project, up to $29.3 million. Hanson taxpayers would pay the remaining amount.

At two special town meetings in October and January residents voted for the project, but by less than a two-thirds threshold. Now town officials argue they only need a majority vote to approve the project.